The present invention relates to a three-transistor DRAM cell and an associated fabrication method and, in particular, to a three-transistor DRAM cell which has a longer retention time and greater interference immunity in conjunction with a reduced area requirement.
Reference is had to FIG. 1, which shows a simplified illustration of an equivalent circuit diagram for a three-transistor DRAM cell in accordance with the prior art. The cell is used in a multiplicity of dynamic memory devices.
The conventional three-transistor DRAM cell illustrated in FIG. 1 is formed with a memory transistor T1 for the dynamic storage and evaluation of information on its gate capacitance, a write transistor T2 for the writing of information to the memory transistor T1 and a read transistor T3 for the reading of information from the memory transistor T1. For writing information, data, for example, are applied to a bit write line BW (bit write) and are switched through via an address write line AW (address write) via the write transistor T2 to the memory transistor T1. More precisely, in this case the charges present on the bit write line BW are charged via the activated write transistor T2 onto the gate capacitance of the memory transistor T1, these stored charges altering the switching behavior of the memory transistor T1. In order to read out the information stored on the gate capacitance of the memory transistor T1, in accordance with FIG. 1, the read transistor T3 is driven via an address read line AR (address read) and the switching state of the memory transistor T1 is output to the bit read line BR (bit read) according to its charges stored on the gate capacitance.
On account of the limited retention time for the charges on the gate capacitance of the memory transistor T1, such a memory cell must be refreshed at regular intervals. This is why the cell is referred to as a dynamic RAM cell (RAM, random access memory).
In order to reduce an area requirement of such three-transistor DRAM cells, the Japanese patent document JP 11017025 discloses a polygonal patterning of a gate of the memory transistor T1.
With reference to FIG. 2, there is shown a simplified illustration of the layout of the memory transistor T1 of such a three-transistor DRAM cell with a reduced area requirement. In this case, an active area AA for realizing a drain region D and a source region S is formed in a semiconductor substrate. At a spacing distance, spaced by an insulating layer, there is situated above the active area AA a polysilicon layer 3 for forming a polygonal gate G in the overlapping regions with the active area AA. In that case, the form of the polysilicon layer 3 or of the gate G is defined in such a way that both a short-channel section A and a long-channel section are formed between the source region S and the drain region D. A three-transistor DRAM cell with a reduced space requirement and an improved storage capacity or dynamic retention time is obtained in this way.
It is disadvantageous that such a DRAM cell has a low degree of interference immunity on account of the enlarged gate area.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a three-transistor DRAM cell and an associated fabrication process, which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the heretofore-known devices and methods of this general type and which provides for a cell that has an improved interference immunity and charge retention capability in conjunction with a minimal space requirement.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a three-transistor DRAM cell, comprising:
a memory transistor for dynamically storing information, a write transistor connected for writing information to the memory transistor, and a read transistor connected for reading information from the memory transistor;
the memory transistor being a field-effect transistor having a substrate area, a first insulating layer above the substrate area, a gate layer above the insulating layer formed with a short-channel section and a long-channel section, a second insulating layer and a conductive layer formed directly on the gate layer; and
wherein a substantially constant voltage value is present between a potential of the conductive layer and a potential of the substrate area.
A DRAM cell with an increased capacitance and hence charge retention time is obtained in particular by virtue of the formation of a second insulating layer and a conductive layer on the gate layer of the memory transistor, essentially a constant voltage value being present between a potential of the conductive layer and a potential of a substrate area. The charges stored on the gate capacitances of the respective memory transistors can therefore be refreshed at longer time intervals. Furthermore, the formation of the conductive layer directly above the charge-storing gate layer forms a shielding layer which reliably shields interference pulses from overlying metalization lines and/or RF radiation, as a result of which the charge retention times of the memory transistor are in turn improved.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, the constant voltage value is zero or it corresponds to an operating voltage.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the conductive layer has a patterning substantially identical to a patterning of the gate layer.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, the conductive layer is a polysilicon layer or a metallic layer.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, the second insulating layer is a dielectric with a high relative permittivity ∈r.
In accordance with again an added feature of the invention, the second insulating layer has a thickness substantially identical to a thickness of the first insulating layer.
In accordance with again an additional feature of the invention, the substrate area is a well formed in a substrate.
In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, the gate layer and the conductive layer are patterned with an L-shape, a Z-shape, an E-shape, a triangular shape, and/or an annular shape.
With the above and other objects in view there is also provided, in accordance with the invention, a method of fabricating a three-transistor DRAM cell having a memory transistor, a write transistor for writing information to the memory transistor; and a read transistor for reading information from the memory transistor. The method comprises the following steps:
a) providing an active area for the memory transistor in a substrate area;
b) forming a first insulating layer on a surface of the substrate area;
c) forming a gate layer on a surface of the first insulating layer;
d) patterning the gate layer;
e) forming source and drain regions in the substrate area;
f) cleaning a surface of the gate layer (e.g. in a HF dip cleaning step);
g) forming a second insulating layer directly on the surface of the gate layer of the memory transistor;
h) forming a conductive layer on the surface of the second insulating layer; and
i) patterning the conductive layer.
In accordance with again a further feature of the invention, the conductive layer on the surface of the second insulating layer is formed by depositing a polysilicon layer and carrying out an ion implantation.
In accordance with a concomitant feature of the invention, step h) further comprises forming an additional silicide layer.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a three-transistor DRAM cell and associated fabrication method, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.